


Sensing Hope

by Icka M Chif (mischif)



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: rotg_kink, Fluff, Hope, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Psychic Abilities, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-15
Updated: 2013-01-15
Packaged: 2017-11-27 19:22:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/665542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mischif/pseuds/Icka%20M%20Chif
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the <a href="http://rotg-kink.dreamwidth.org/1511.html?thread=2489831#cmt2489831">Rise of the Guardians Kinkmeme</a>: <i>'So what if the film happened, and the reason Bunny didn't want Jack to be a Guardian was because it was putting his "mate" in danger with Pitch and "ohmygod Manny what the hell using a kid as a weapon against a millions-of-years-old mad shadow king?"</i>'</p><p>Aka: Bunnymund can feel Hope like Pitch knows Fear. Jack has Hopes he's trying to hide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sensing Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Ever have one of those stories that you're writing, you're writing, you have no idea what you're writing, and then suddenly you're out of words? Yeah. That.
> 
> Originally translated 'mate' as 'friend', because of reasons.

* * *

“How does it feel to be a Guardian now, Jack?” Toothiana’s smile was kind as she sat down across the table from him.

Jack grinned back, watching Bunny smile at something North was laughing about. He hadn’t seen Bunny look this happy in a long time, it was a good look for the Pooka.

“Pretty good.” He said, feeling pretty content now that Pitch was out of their hair, at least for a while.

Maybe it would let Bunny relax too, the big lug had always worried over Jack, but he could take care of himself. And now Bunny knew it, the Guardians knew it, and more importantly, Pitch knew it.

“I’m glad.” Toothiana said, putting a warm hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. Her violet eyes seemed to glow for a second, her smile fading into an ‘o’ of surprise, her plumage rising. At Jack’s shoulder Baby Tooth squeaked, clasping her tiny hands over mouth.

“Tooth?” Jack questioned.

“I’m fine.” Toothiana shook her head, giving his arm a pat. He got a brief burst of _Joy_ from her, whatever it was couldn’t have been bad. She smiled again, her face glowing slightly in happiness. “You’ve been in love with Bunny for a while, haven’t you?”

“What?” Jack could feel his good mood deteriorate, his heart plummeting down around his feet. “I... no... What?” He tried to laugh it off.

There was no way he was that transparent. Right?

“Guardian of Memories.” Toothiana wiggled her fingers at him, effectively silencing his laughter with a nervous giggle of her own. “Kind of like... touch telepathy. Don’t have much control over it cause I’m not usually around people, but occasionally I see people’s memories.”

Just like how Pitch knew everyone’s worst Fear, or Bunny sensed people’s greatest Hopes.

Or like how Jack felt Joy.

Toothiana glanced over at Bunny, who was shaking a fist at a laughing North, was was fairly glowing with mirth “I had no idea the two of you were friends. Much less for so long, he covered it well.” She said, with an admiring tone. “The Blizzard of ‘68?”

“I... Yeah.” Jack let out a breath and nodded.

He had reached the end of his rope, frustrated, afraid, and alone, emotions pouring out of him, resulting in a blizzard that had covered most of North America. All he’d wanted was one person, just a single person to acknowledge him.

Which was when E. Aster Bunnymund, the Easter Bunny, showed up.

Bunny had been right pissed, Easter was practically ruined, frozen out. But he’d still bundled Jack up, cursing a blue streak the entire time and brought him back to the Warren, shoving blankets and hot cocoa at him before going back up the surface to scavenge what he could of his holiday.

It wasn’t the most auspicious beginning of a friendship, Bunny had quite a few choice words to say to Jack over almost freezing out Easter, and Jack had been pretty sure he was hallucinating a giant 6 foot tall talking Rabbit cussing at him for several weeks. But Bunny had let him stay at the Warren, and eventually Jack realised that Bunny was real.

And from there, Bunny couldn’t get rid of him.

Not that he tried hard to get rid of Jack. It took a few years for Jack to understand that Bunny was just as lonely in his own way, and Jack was good at filling up the silences.

But Bunny was also a Guardian, and Guardians had enemies. One major one in particular: Pitch Black.

Pitch Black, who had single handedly brought an end to the greatest Golden Age ever known. Ravaging the galaxies, destroying stars and planets, and killing all of Bunny’s friends and family, leaving him the last of the Pooka.

The biggest fight they ever had was the day that Bunny realised that they were friends and freaked out. He attempted to chase Jack away ‘for his own safety’, out of fear that Pitch would kill Jack for associating with a Guardian. For meaning something to Bunny.

Jack had fought back, determined to stay, and eventually they’d hammered out an agreement. On the surface, they weren’t friends. They bickered, they fought, they bad-mouthed each other within everyone’s hearing, did everything to keep up a facade of mutual animosity.

In the Warren however, they could laugh and keep each other company as they had been.

It was kind of fun in it’s own way. The biggest trick either of them pulled off was pulling the wool over everyone’s eyes about their friendship.

And becoming friends with Bunny had somehow opened a door for him. He was friends with most of the spirits that had holidays during the winter months now.

He Helped the Leprechauns hide their gold on March 17th, assisted Cupid with a stray breeze or a slippery patch of ice at just the right time on Valentine’s Day. Made nice crisp cool nights for Guy Fawkes’ fireworks, gave the wind the perfect chill on Halloween.

Jack had always stayed away from North however, knowing he was another Guardian.

Falling for Bunny had just sort of happened, wiggled in on him while he wasn’t looking. Bunny had a hair trigger temper, he had his routines that he zealously stuck to, and spirits help you if you interfered with his Holiday.

But most of that grump and sarcasm was to hide a kind heart, one who loved to see the world blossom and grow.

And he painted the most beautiful things.

Bunny had a trickster streak a mile wide too, the two of them pranking each other in small ways, spending hours just talking and laughing. There were days that Jack was surprised to look at his reflection and realise he didn’t have rabbit ears of his own.

But the few times Jack had tried to even hint at anything more than friendship, Bunny had shut him down. Once by talking about his deceased wife, another time broadly hinting that Slue-Foot Sue or the Maiden of the Mist might be available if Jack was looking for a _human_ girlfriend.

So Jack had taken that Hope that Bunny might see him as anything other than a friend and buried it as deeply as he could. It didn’t stop it from being there, or Jack from feeling it.

But Jack couldn’t risk their friendship by Bunnymund sensing it. Didn’t want to see the laughing spark in Bunny’s eyes change to revulsion as he realised that Jack was attracted to him.

Hope could be dangerous. Especially around the Guardian of Hope.

He had other Hopes, those he kept closer to the surface. Hoping to be accepted, to not be lonely. Hoping to be believed in.

And now he was. He was a Guardian, sworn in, accepted and everything. He had believers, and more friends, like Jamie.

Jack glanced over at Bunny flailing at Sandy, who was smiling beatifically in return. Bunny had certainly panicked over the idea of Jack being a Guardian at North’s Workshop, even though he seemed fine with it now. Jack was kind of surprised that no one else had noticed it, with the way that Bunny had been acting and the bullshit he’d been spouting.

It’d been hard to pretend in the Warren that Jack wasn’t comfortable there. Watching the others clue in to how much work Bunny put into Easter had been fun.

Although Bunny freaking out over Jack meeting Pitch by himself hadn’t been easy. Or not being able to reach out as Bunny broke down over the loss of his Holiday. Jack never wanted to see that kind of anguish on Bunny’s face again, not ever.

It wasn’t there now, Bunny was back to his normal cocky self, glaring at both North and Sandy. Bunny wasn’t quite up to 100% yet, Jack doubted any of the Guardians were, but he looked better than he had a few hours before, a cute little tiny snuggly kit.

It had taken a lot of self-restraint not to cuddle him. But if Jack started, he wasn’t sure he could easily stop.

“He doesn’t know.” Jack said quietly, tightly gripping his staff to keep him focused on the here and now, not imagining how soft Bunny’s fur might be. The ice where he fixed the staff was smooth under his fingertips, strange in its newness.

“How you feel?” Toothiana blinked, looking surprised. Baby Tooth echoed it, giving a confused chirp. “Why not?”

Jack opened his mouth to explain, but Toothiana kept talking, right on over him. “He’s been happier the past several decades than I’ve ever seen him before. Since you came into his life, actually.”

She leaned forward with a confidential smirk, little bubbles of Joy bouncing up in her. “We’ve been teasing him for ages about it, but he wouldn’t say why. ” She giggled. “Now I know!”

“... Really?” Jack asked with an eager smile, feeling his cheeks frost in a blush. Maybe-

He caught the thought a second too late, foolish hope already rising. Jack quickly squashed it back down. It didn’t matter, he sternly reminded himself.

Behind Toothiana, he could see Bunny stiffen, nose wiggling, ears twitching back and forth, as if he’d sensed something, trying to pinpoint the location.

Oh, crap.

His breath caught, trying to think of something else, anything else. Toothiana’s straightened in her seat as her expression shifted to worry at his panic, wings beating a quick staccato. “Jack?”

Bunny turned, green eyes fixing on Jack with laser like intensity, a question burning in them.

“Gotta go!” Jack announced, pushing himself out of the chair and throwing himself into the air. The Wind grabbed him and pulled him towards a partially open window, to freedom.

Bunny caught him before he made it there, grey arms wrapping around Jack as they fell through a Rabbit Hole that hadn’t been there moments before. Jack yelled as they rushed through the tunnel, the Wind chasing after them.

Then they were in the Warren, spring green grass at his back, staff out of reach, and over six feet of Pooka blanketed on top of him, keeping him pinned to the earth.

Jack gritted his teeth, fighting the instinctual flare of ice that came with the panic of being trapped, not wanting to hurt Bunny. Even if it meant he was pinned.

“I felt it.” Bunny’s breath was thick in Jack’s ear, the soft fur of Bunny’s cheek brushing against his, making him shiver. “A brief burst of _Hope_.”

Jack swallowed, his stomach rolling with despair. Dammit.

“It was beautiful.” Bunny’s voice ached, nearly raw. “And then it was gone. Show me.”

Jack shook his head, eyes twisting shut. “Can’t.” He rasped into the soft fur at Bunny’s neck. Bunny didn’t just sense Hope, he **knew** what the Hope was.

“Show me.” He could feel Bunny raise his head, Jack’s cheek cold where Bunny’s fur was no longer pressed against it.

He shook his head again, biting the inside of his lips. He couldn’t.

Careful fingertips against his brow, thick nails and short fur just grazing against his skin before Bunny’s large hand cradled the side of his face, his warmth soaking into Jack’s skin. “Show me.” Bunny implored. “ _Please_.”

It was the ‘please’ that got to him. Neither of them were inclined to use it, not unless it was serious.

Jack’s breath shuddered slightly as he inhaled, holding it for a moment as he nodded, just once before breathing out again. Fine, then.

It wasn’t easy, decades of hiding it were hard to undo, but he let his Hope rise, buoyed by Toothiana’s words, the memory of Bunny’s smile. His chest felt warm, happy at the thought, content.

For a moment, he let himself believe it, that his feelings were returned. That he was loved, he was cherished, more so than just a roommate or a friend. That Bunny cared for him as much as Jack cared for Bunny.

Then Bunny gave a small gasp, Jack feeling Bunny’s heartbeat pick up against his ribcage. He let it fade, pulling it back and burying it back down where he kept it hidden. “I’m sorry.” Jack said in a defeated whisper, worn out and raw, feeling like he’d somehow betrayed Bunny.

He hadn’t meant to feel more. Or to let anyone know.

Jack was unprepared for the burst of bright _Joy_ he got in return, emanating from the person on top of him. He hiccuped, eyes opening to meet Bunny’s bright green ones. The Pooka looked as astonished as Jack felt.

“You...” Jack said, trailing off in surprise. That kind of Joy couldn’t be faked, only felt.

“I think I’m the one who should be apologisin’.” Bunny whispered, fingertips tracing the curve of Jack’s cheek, his jaw like Jack was something precious. “I thought ya were takin’ a liking to someone else.” Bunny confessed, sounding like he was giving himself a solid kick to the head.

Jack laughed, reaching up to wrap his arms around Bunny’s torso. When Bunny didn’t pull away, Jack tightened his grip, hugging him. “Nah.” Jack grinned, his own Joy bubbling up. “Just you.”

“Oh, good.” Bunny grinned back, green eyes warm and soft as he leaned down to brush his nose against Jack’s in an eskimo kiss. “Cause it’s just you too.”

-fin-


End file.
